Enough already! Greenpeace takes action against bottom trawling

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Background - 27 October, 2004

After revealing an abundance of evidence to the UN that bottom trawling is destroying deep sea life, today we took direct action. A lone Greenpeace activist hurled himself onto the huge fishing net that was being hauled from the depths onto the deck of the EU bottom trawler.

Greenpeace activists hang a banner on the trawl doors of the EU deep seabottom trawler Playa de Menduina, to protest against the destruction causedby this fishing practice.

Activists in Greenpeace inflatables also attached a banner
reading "Deep Sea Destroyer" to the stern of the ship.

Earlier, we had followed the Spanish flagged "Playa de Menduiña"
and after collecting spectacular species which they had killed and
discarded, we asked repeatedly that they stop trawling, but no such
luck. Continuing on its destructive path it continued to drag its
huge nets across the sea bed and churn up species such as giant
spider crabs, coral, rare deep water sharks and deep sea fish such
as orange roughy.

"It's entirely wrong to just sit back while probably thousands
of unknown species are being wiped out by this fishing practice.
"

The Esperanza is currently investigating and documenting bottom
trawling in the North Atlantic. Meanwhile, politicians and
bureaucrats at the United Nations are discussing the issue as we
speak.

But we will not let them forget about the urgency of the
situation. Maria Jose added: "As long as naïve and lazy politicians
either ignore the problem or actively collude to see it continue,
we will be morally obliged to continue to take these actions."

Once more, with feeling

The next day, we were at it again. Following on from the brave
antics of the day before, two activists were hauled into a bottom
trawler's catch...